Circuit-breaker.



PATENTED JULY 11, 1905.

J. B. LAING.

CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 28,1904.

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Patented July 11, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. LAING, OF SUN, WEST VIRGINIA.

CIRCUIT-BREAKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 794,518, dated July 11, 1905.

Application filed Marci. 28, 1904:. Serial No. 200,408.

T0 at whom, it flea/y concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN B. LAING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sun, in the county of Fayette and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circuit-Breakers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to' which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to trolley circuitbreakers, and is intended, primarily, for use in mines, though it will be obvious that it may be used in connection with any trolley system.

My object is to provide a simple and efficient device which is adapted to be inserted directly in the line conductor; and particularly my object is to produce a device of this character in which the circuit-breaking element when in position is firmly held against the line-terminals, but when desired may be readily removed from the body of the device, insuring that the circuit will not be completed accidentally. Heretofore pivoted members have usually been employed in this connection, as in the ordinary knife-switch, such members frequently being spring-controlled, and in instances when it has been desired that the line should remain broken the switch has often been closed by accident. An entirely-removable circuit-breaking element is of especial value in mines where certain workings have to be temporarily closed on account of firedamp or other causes, making it imperative that no live wires extend through the regions affected and that ready access to them be closed.

To these ends the invention consists in the combinations pointed out in the claims, embodiments of which are described in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view. Fig. 3 is a top plan view. Fig. 4 is a detail view. Fig. -5 is a side elevation of a modification of my invention, showing a part removed. Fig. 6 is a bottom plan View of a similar modification. gig. 7 is a central transverse section through cation of my invention. designates two metalhc end pieces provided Referring now to Figs. 1 to 8, A designates a hanger, of non-conducting material, bearing metallic end members or terminals a, the latter being provided with apertures and setscrews a for securing the ends of the linewire. B is a strip of conducting material forming a continuous conductor or bridging member connecting the terminals and firmly supported beneath the bottom of the hanger againstaccidental displacement. Compensat ing means is provided between the hanger and the bridging member for holding the latter at all times in firm contact with the terminals and, as shown, may comprise a spring'C, secured at its hooked ends 0 0 to a pin 0 on the hanger and a handle 6 mounted on a lateral projection b of the bridging member and insulated therefrom by an insulating-disk I).

On opposite sides of each terminal are formed vertical grooves or guideways (f, the inner walls of which are clamped by upright lugs b on the bridging member. These guideways serve to position strip B when the latter is being inserted in the device and hold it against lateral displacement when in position. F urthermore, as indicated in Fig. 3, the upper ends of lugs I) may be bent inward to assist spring C in holding the strip against the lower surfaces of the hanger and terminals. It is obvious that the bridging member may be readily removed by unhooking spring G and grasping handle Z2 In Figs. 5 to 7 there is illustrated a modifi- In these figures a with apertures a" and binding-screws a for 'securingthe ends of the line-wire. As shown in Fig. 5, these end pieces have the upper portions of their opposing faces inclined upwardly, as at a, and between each inclined region a and the upright portion a of the face is a horizontal region or incut shoulder a. Secured to the opposed faces of the end pieces a in any suitable manner and bearing against shoulders a are parallel upright conmeeting-webs A A of any suitable non-conducting material. The outer faces of these webs are flush with the side of the end pieces and their inner faces are separated from each other by a space A which constitutes a vertical passage through the hanger. Web A is extended upwardly to some height and corresponds in function to the hanger proper, A, of Figs. 1 to 3, while web A is much narrower from top to bottom than web A and is in the nature of a strengthening member. As shown in Fig. 5, the upper face of web A is cut away downwardly in an are a for a purpose presently to be specified. B indicates a removable plate of conducting material that is adapted to be inserted in the opening A between the webs to establish electrical connection between the end pieces. This member is shown as being of substantially the same depth as web A and is provided at its ends with downwardly facing shoulders 5, arranged to bear against shoulders of the end pieces. Projecting laterally from the side of member B remote from web A is a suitable handle cZ, which occupies curved depression a in web A Without contacting with the top of this web. This handle cl serves as an abutment against which the lower curved edge of cam-piece d is adapted to bear in order to' clamp connecting member B securely against shoulders a of end pieces a. Gampiece d is pivoted to the inner face of web A, as at d and has the inner side of its lower face cut away, as at (i (shown in Fig. 7-,) in order to'clear the top of connecting member B. The depending clamping portion (Z of the cam-piece moves freely over web A by reason of the curved depression a.

It will be readily understood from the dotted lines in Fig. 5 that the circuit through the hanger is completed by swinging camvpiece cl upwardly and inserting the bridging member B, after which the cam piece is swung downward into its clamping position to prevent upward movement of member B. In order to break the circuit, the cam-piece is of course raised and the bridging member lifted by handle d.

It should be noticed that in both forms of construction thatI have illustrated the bridging member forms a continuous contact for I the trolley-wheel, thus preventing the sparking which occurs when the wheel is obliged to jump a dead-space. It is of great advantage, particularly in mines, to reduce sparking along the line as much as possible, and therefore I considerthis feature of particular importance.

What is claimed as new is- 1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a non-conducting hanger, terminals thereon, and a bridging member connecting the terminals and forming a continuous contact for the trolley-wheel, said member being movable to break the circuit.

2. Inadevice of the character described, the combination of a non-conducting hanger, terminals thereon, and a bridging member connecting the terminals and forming a continu one contact for the trolley-wheel, said member being removable to break the circuit.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a non-conducting hanger, terminals thereon, and a removable bridging member supported along the lower surface of the hanger and connecting the terminals.

4:. In a device of the character described, the combination of a non-conducting hanger, terminals thereon, and a removable bridging member connecting the terminals and forming a contact for the trolley-wheel, the bridging member being firmly mounted against displacement.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a non-conducting hanger, terminals thereon, and a removable bridging member comprising a continuous strip supported along the hanger and connecting the terminals.

6. In adevice of the character described, the combination of anon-conducting hanger, terminals thereon, and a removable bridging member comprising a continuous conductor firmly mounted against displacement and connecting the terminals, said member being adapted to form a contact for the trolleywheel.

7. In adevice of the character described, the combination of a non-conducting hanger, terminals thereon, a removable bridging. member connecting the terminals and supported beneath the hanger, and compensating means for holding the member in position.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination of a non-conducting hanger, terminals thereon, a removable bridging member connecting the terminals and supported beneath the hanger, guides and guideways for positioning the bridging member, and compensating means for holding the bridging member in position.

9. In adevice of the character described, the combination of a non-conducting hanger, terminals thereon, a removable bridging member connecting the terminals and supported beneath the hanger, means for holding the bridging member against lateral displacement, and means for retaining said member in contact with the terminals.

10. In a device of the character described, the-combination of a non-conducting hanger, te rminalsthereon, a removable bridgingmember connecting the terminals and located beneath the hanger, and a spring between the hanger and bridging member for retaining the latter in position.

11. In a device of the character described, the combination of a non-conducting hanger, terminals thereon having vertical guideways, a removable bridging member located beneath the hanger, lugs on said member operating in the guideways, and means for retaining the bridging member in position.

12. In a device of the character described, the combination of a non-conducting hanger, terminals thereon having vertical guideways, a removable bridging member connecting the terminals and located beneath the hanger, and vertical lugs located on opposite sides of said member and adapted to clamp the inner walls of the guideways.

13. In a device of the character described, the combination of a non-conducting hanger, terminals thereon having vertical guideways, a removable bridging member connecting the terminals and located beneath the hanger, and vertical lugs located on opposite sides of said member and adapted to clamp the inner Walls of the guideways, their upper ends being bent inward over the hanger.

1 L. Acircuit-breakercomprisinganon-conducting hanger, cond ucting means on the ends thereof for holding proximate ends of wires, and a conductor connecting the conducting means comprising a strip, and clamping members on either end thereof constructed to hold the conductor in operative position, a handle on the conductor, and means coacting with the handle to hold the conductor in position and take up wear therein, substantially as described.

1 5. A circuit-breaker comprising a non-conducting hanger, conducting means on the ends thereof for holding proximate ends of wires, and a conductor bridging the hanger and comprising a strip, a handle thereon, a spring pivoted on the hanger having its lower end formed into a hook engaging the handle, and clamping members constructed to hold the strip in operative position, substantially as described.

16. A circuit-breaker comprising the combination of a non-conducting hanger, metallic tips on the ends thereof constructed to hold the ends of adjacent wires, a metallic member bridging the space between the ends of the hanger, a handle on said member, insulated therefrom, a spring pivoted on the hanger having-its lower end engaging the handle, and clamping members constructed to engage the ends of the hanger and hold the bridging member in operative position and permit its removal, substantially as described;

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN B. LAING.

Witnesses:

EDMUND H. PARRY, C. C. (JoUsINs. 

